Written Answers Nos. 283 - 303
283. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection if a lone parent has had their one parent family payment suspended, reduced or removed on the grounds of not seeking maintenance from the other parent; and if so, the number of instances in which this has this happened in each of the years 2014 to 2016 and to date in 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30352/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe information requested in respect of lone parents who have had their one parent family payment suspended, reduced or removed on the grounds of not seeking maintenance from the other parent during each of the years 2014 to 2016 and to date in 2017 is not available in my Department.
284. Deputy John Brady asked the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Social Protection report entitled, Report on the Position of Lone Parents in Ireland, published online in June 2017; her views on this report and in particular, the recommendations made by the committee; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30353/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have recently received the report of the Joint Committee on Social Protection on the position of Lone Parents in Ireland.
I would like to thank the Committee for their work on this issue which I know included discussions with a wide range of stakeholder groups and officials from this Department. I have no doubt it will make a valuable contribution to the policy on this issue.
The report and its recommendations are currently being considered by my Department.
In addition the independent review of the changes to the One-Parent Family Payment, which was agreed during the passage of the Social Welfare Act 2016, is currently well underway and is due to report by the end of August this year.
I anticipate that both of these reports will be of great assistance to me and my Department in this important area.
285. Deputy Jan O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Social Protection the functions and responsibilities she now has in terms of her employment remit; the functions of the former Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation which will be transferred to her Department; the agencies and statutory bodies under the aegis of the former Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation which will be transferred to her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30384/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFollowing the announcement by An Taoiseach on 14 June of the transfer of labour affairs and labour law responsibilities from the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation to the Department of Social Protection, the process of identifying the functional areas, staff and resources that will transfer to my Department has begun. This is being done in accordance with the Transfer of Functions Guidelines and Best Practice Handbook, published by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform in 2016.
In accordance with those guidelines, the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation is taking the lead in this process. When the details have been agreed in consultation with the Department of the Taoiseach, a Transfer of Functions Order will be brought to Government by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to give effect to the changes involved.
286. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an appeal by a person (details supplied) of the decision to refuse a domiciliary care allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30401/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was referred to an Appeals Officer on 19 June 2017 who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on the documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
287. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection if she will address a matter (details supplied) regarding the rate of jobseeker's benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30415/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraReduced rates for younger jobseeker’s allowance recipients were first introduced in 2009 and extended to those under 26 in Budget 2014. This is similar to other EU and OECD jurisdictions where such measures feature.
These measures were introduced to protect young people from welfare dependency by providing young jobseekers with a strong financial incentive to engage in education or training or to take up employment. Should a young jobseeker on a reduced jobseeker’s allowance payment participate on an education or training programme they will receive a higher weekly payment of €160. This rate will be further increased to €193 per week from September 2017. In addition, recipients of jobseekers allowance under 26 years of age who have dependent children are not subject to the reduced rates.
I am committed to ensuring my Department identifies effective measures to incentivise and support young people in finding and securing sustainable jobs. The best way to do this is through engagement processes and by incentivising them to avail of educational and training opportunities, thereby enhancing their employment prospects.
The CSO’s latest monthly unemployment figures report that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for persons aged 15-24 years was 11.7% in May 2017. This is a decrease of 3.3 percentage points, from 15% in May 2016.
With effect from March, rates of jobseeker’s payments were increased for claimants of all ages as a result of measures introduced in Budget 2017. I have no plans for any further increases in rates at present. Any such changes could only be considered in a budgetary context.
288. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an appeal by a person (details supplied) of the decision to refuse a disability allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30432/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Social Welfare Appeals Office that an Appeals Officer, having fully considered all of the available evidence, has decided to disallow the appeal of the person concerned by way of a summary decision. The person concerned has been notified of the Appeals Officer’s decision.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
289. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application by a person (details supplied) for a disability allowance; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30433/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThis man has been awarded disability allowance with effect from 29 March 2017. The first payment will be made by his chosen payment method on 5 July 2017.
Arrears of payment due will issue as soon as possible once any necessary adjustment is calculated and applied in respect of any overlapping payments or in respect of outstanding overpayments (if applicable).
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
290. Deputy James Lawless asked the Minister for Social Protection further to Parliamentary Question No. 42 of 31 May 2017, the stage the review process is at regarding community employment schemes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30435/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraFollowing the publication earlier in the year of my Department’s Report - An Analysis of the Community Employment Programme - the Government approved a number of changes to the terms and conditions of participation on Community Employment (CE) as outlined in the reply referred to in your question.
My Department has been consulting with key stakeholders throughout the country during the last month about the changes and it is planned to begin rolling them out in the coming weeks. At the time of publication of the report, it was also signalled that a review of the rules governing the participation of older people on schemes would take place and I expect this review to be completed by early autumn.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
291. Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Social Protection her plans to ensure that rent allowance is not ceased in respect of long-term recipients of the payment until such time as the landlord signs up to the housing assistance payment scheme and it is approved by the local authority; her further plans to ensure that long-term recipients of the rent allowance payment continue to receive their payment in cases in which the landlord is unwilling to sign up to the housing assistance payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30438/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraRent supplement plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme supporting some 42,300 recipients for which the Government has provided €253 million for in 2017.
The implementation of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a key Government priority as outlined in the Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness - Rebuilding Ireland. Under HAP, responsibility for the provision of rental assistance to those with a long-term housing need transfers from my Department to the local authorities, under the auspices of the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government. Rent supplement will continue to be paid to households who are already in the private rented sector but who, generally because of a loss of income through unemployment, require a short term income support to pay their rent.
Persons who are in receipt of rent supplement for over 18 months are being requested to contact their local authority to have their housing needs assessed thus beginning the transfer to HAP. Failure of a landlord to participate in HAP does not affect a recipient’s continued entitlement to rent supplement. I can assure the Deputy that every effort is made to ensure that persons in receipt of rent supplement are supported with a seamless transfer to HAP and entitlement to rent supplement remains in place until HAP is commenced.
I trust this clarifies the matter.
292. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application for disability allowance by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30465/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe application for disability allowance (DA) from the person in question, based upon the evidence submitted, was refused on medical grounds and the person concerned was notified in writing of this decision on 18 May 2017.
Further evidence was received on 2 June 2017 and this is currently being reviewed by a deciding officer. The person in question can expect a decision on the review of his DA application shortly. If the decision to refuse the allowance is confirmed following review, the person concerned will have the right to appeal to the Social Welfare Appeals Office.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
293. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection if an oral hearing can be granted in the case of a person (details supplied) who is appealing a disability allowance decision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30466/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Social Welfare Appeals Office has advised me that an appeal by the person concerned was registered in that office on 4 April 2017. It is a statutory requirement of the appeals process that the relevant papers and comments by or on behalf of the Deciding Officer on the grounds of appeal be sought from the Department of Social Protection. These papers have been received in the Social Welfare Appeals Office and the case will be referred to an Appeals Officer who will make a summary decision on the appeal based on documentary evidence presented or, if required, hold an oral hearing.
The Social Welfare Appeals Office functions independently of the Minister for Social Protection and of the Department and is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
294. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application for disability allowance by a person (details supplied). [30469/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can confirm that my department received an application for disability allowance from this lady on 30 March 2017.
On 10 June 2017 the person concerned was requested to supply supporting documentation required by the deciding officer in order to make a decision on her eligibility. On receipt of this information a decision will be made and the person concerned will be notified of the outcome.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
295. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Social Protection the status of an application for disability allowance by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30470/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI confirm that an application from the person concerned for disability allowance (DA) was received by my department on 12 April 2017. The application has been referred to a Social Welfare Inspector (SWI) for a report on the person’s means and circumstances. Once the SWI has submitted his/her report to DA section, a decision will be made on the application and the person concerned will be notified directly of the outcome.
I trust this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
296. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if houses which are rented to a local authority under the RAS scheme are exempt from registration (details supplied) with the Residential Tenancies Board, in view of the fact that the guidelines for registration with the RTB state that a dwelling is exempt if it is let by or to a public authority; if a local authority is considered a public body under this exemption; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30369/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraSection 134 of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 states that a landlord of a dwelling shall apply to the Residential Tenancies Board to register the tenancy of a dwelling. A ‘landlord’ is defined in the Act as the person entitled to receive the rent paid in respect of a dwelling by the tenant. Under the Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS), the local authority nominates a RAS recipient to the accommodation who signs a residential tenancy agreement with the landlord. The main "landlord and tenant" relationship remains between the property owner and the RAS tenant. The local authority will be party to this agreement as guarantor of the rent only. The local authority is not the landlord, nor is the property ‘let by or to a public authority’. The landlord is the person to whom the local authority pays the rent. Under the 2004 Act, the landlord must register the tenancy with the Residential Tenancies Board.
297. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the statutory or legislative definition of affordable housing used by his Department. [30250/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the 1999 Affordable Housing Scheme, which is no longer in operation, eligibility was determined on the basis that applicants were in need of housing and could not afford to purchase a house outright on the open market. The income limits under the 1999 Scheme were revised on a number of occasions and in 2010 the annual income limit for a single income household was €40,000, while the annual limit for a two income household was €100,000, using the formula of 2½ times the main income plus once the secondary income.
Applicants for affordable housing under Part V of the Planning and Development Act 2000 satisfied the income eligibility requirement if the mortgage repayments for suitable accommodation available in the market would exceed 35% of their net income.
The Government recognises the housing affordability pressures in certain areas and is determined to see increases in the supply of high quality social and affordable homes, to buy or rent, as quickly as possible, particularly in the major urban areas where demand is greatest. This is one of the issues I will be considering in the context of the recently announced review of Rebuilding Ireland, one year on from its publication, with an emphasis on building on the progress made, strengthening the measures already in place and identifying new initiatives that add value and raise ambition.
As part of the review process, my Department will focus in particular on the broad issue of housing affordability, building on the measures already being advanced. In this context, my Department intends to consult with local authorities and other key stakeholders in the coming weeks, as part of the broader review process.
At a strategic level, under the new 20-year National Planning Framework, there will be an emphasis on managing and utilising State lands to deliver housing and to ensure an active and healthy market for development land. In this regard, an important policy intervention in the delivery of new housing supply under Pillar 3 of Rebuilding Ireland is the development of State-owned lands for mixed-tenure housing, particularly in the major urban areas, where demand is greatest. On 27 April 2017, details of some 2,000 hectares of land in public ownership were published, with the potential to deliver up to 50,000 homes nationally. In practical terms, the development of sites such as these will mean accelerating social housing delivery and securing more homes for sale and rent at lower and more affordable price points.
Rebuilding Ireland also commits to the introduction of an affordable rental scheme to enhance the provision of affordable accommodation for households currently paying a disproportionate amount of disposable income on rent. As set out in the Strategy for the Rental Sector, this commitment is now to be progressed through kick-starting supply in rent pressure zones. Lands held by local authorities in such zones are to be brought to market on a competitive tendering basis, with a view to leveraging the value of the land to deliver the optimum number of units for rent, and in particular targeting middle-income households, in mixed-tenure developments.
The question of the criteria to apply to determine eligibility for affordable units is currently under consideration.
298. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of the 10,000 social housing units currently in his Department's plans which have not yet commenced the part 8 process. [30253/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraCertain projects listed in the Social Housing Construction Status Report are not subject to the Part 8 process; these include projects being advanced by Approved Housing Bodies and projects by private developers that are being acquired on a turn-key basis by local authorities.
My Department does not have comprehensive information on the Part 8 process in all cases as this is a local authority matter and, in the interests of expediting projects, it is not uncommon for the Part 8 process and my Department's approval process to operate in parallel rather than in sequence. However, based on the information available from the local authorities on their social housing construction projects that have received funding approval-in-principle from my Department, some 300 are subject to the Part 8 process and approximately 180 have completed the process at this stage, with other being progressed by local authorities on an ongoing basis.
299. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government when the fire safety certificate and disability access certificate was issued by Dublin City Council for a building (details supplied); when a certificate of compliance was validated by Dublin City Council; the name of the assigned certifier who was on site on 21 June 2017; when the safety file was given to the building owner; the name of the project supervisor at construction stage; if they were on site on 21 June 2017; and if it was legal for homeless persons to be placed in this facility on the night in June when ten families were placed for a single night. [30274/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraMy Department has overall responsibility for the statutory regulatory framework governing Building Regulations, Building Control and Fire Services. Inspection and enforcement are a matter for local authorities who, under the relevant legislation, are designated as Building Control and Fire Authorities in their respective functional areas and have extensive statutory powers of inspection and enforcement.
A Fire Safety Certificate is a certificate granted by a local Building Control Authority which specifies that the works or building to which the application relates will, if carried out in accordance with the plans and specifications submitted, comply with the requirements of Part B of the Second Schedule to the Building Regulations. A Fire Safety Certificate is required for certain works to existing buildings, including a material alteration or change of use, to which the requirements of Part B of the Building Regulations apply.
A Disability Access Certificate is a certificate granted by a local Building Control Authority which specifies that the works or building to which the application relates will, if carried out in accordance with the plans and specifications submitted, comply with the requirements of Part M of the Second Schedule to the Building Regulations. Where a Fire Safety Certificate is required for any works, a Disability Access Certificate is also required.
Fire Safety Certificates, Disability Access Certificates and all other statutory Certificates required pursuant to the Building Regulations and Building Control Regulations are lodged with the appropriate local Building Control Authority and my Department has no involvement in the operational or transactional element of this mandatory statutory requirement.
The information sought by the Deputy may be obtained directly from the relevant local Building Control Authority, Dublin City Council, although some of the information requested is available on the Building Control Management System online public register – specifically at page number 43 of the Q.2 2017 document at the following web address: https://www.localgov.ie/sites/default/files/building_register_q22017.pdf .
I would like to reaffirm that the paramount priority is and must always be life safety in and about buildings, including the safety and welfare of families placed in emergency accommodation. I have been informed that Dublin City Council met Dublin Fire Services on 21 June 2017 and will be working with them to implement further precautions to enable the particular facility to be utilised on a contingency basis as a harm reduction measure to ensure that families do not have to sleep rough, while the broader refurbishment of the property is completed, allowing it to then serve as supported temporary accommodation for families.
300. Deputy Eoin Ó Broin asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the number of the 800 plus families who were in hotel and bed and breakfast emergency accommodation at the end of March 2017 that have been transferred to other forms of emergency accommodation to date in 2017; and the number of the 650 families who were in hotel and bed and breakfast emergency accommodation at the end of May 2017 that will be moved into other forms of emergency accommodation including hubs by the end of July and August 2017. [30275/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraAt the end of March 2017, there was a total of 871 families accommodated in commercial hotels and B&Bs in the Dublin region. By the end of May, this figure had reduced to approximately 650.
Changes in the number of families in hotels arise on a daily basis as new homeless families present, while others leave. In the two months from March to May 2017, based on figures provided to my Department by the Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE), 220 of the 381 families presenting as homeless entered hotels, while accommodation solutions were delivered for 605 families - 319 through a programme of family-oriented supported temporary accommodation facilities and 286 through local authority/Approved Housing Body tenancies or the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) homelessness scheme, including 161 families who were prevented from entering hotels. Overall, since the Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan on Housing and Homelessness was published in July 2016, over 830 families have exited hotels and during the same timeframe, over 400 families were prevented from entering hotels through the HAP scheme.
I am engaging with the Dublin local authorities on an ongoing basis to ensure that the continued reduction in the use of hotels is prioritised. While the emphasis must be on exiting as many as possible of the families in hotels at end-May, I have requested that any remaining families, other than in exceptional circumstances, are notified by end June of the pathway out of hotels envisaged for them. The completion of that work shortly will provide information on the mix of accommodation solutions involved.
Last week, I announced my intention to make available €10 million for further new family-oriented supported temporary accommodation facilities. Currently, fifteen such facilities are being developed at a total estimated cost of €25 million to provide accommodation for upwards of 600 families. The additional funding will add accommodation in such facilities for at least another 200 families.
301. Deputy Jack Chambers asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if all agencies under his aegis have an up to date tax clearance certificate; the agencies which do not have an up to date tax clearance certificate; the reason they do not have a tax clearance certificate in each case, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30285/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraTax clearance certificates for all of the State agencies under my Department's remit are fully up-to-date.
302. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will arrange for a safety audit of all existing apartment and commercial blocks built over the years to the present, with a particular emphasis on those built during the Celtic tiger era from 1994 to 2008; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30299/17]
Amharc ar fhreagra303. Deputy Dessie Ellis asked the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will arrange for fire safety checks on all lift shafts in apartment and commercial blocks to ensure that they are fully compliant with building fire safety standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30300/17]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 302 and 303 together.
My Department has overall responsibility for the statutory regulatory framework governing both Building Control and Fire Services. Inspection and enforcement and the maintenance of relevant registers are a matter for local authorities who, under the relevant legislation, are designated as Building Control and Fire Authorities in their respective functional areas and have extensive statutory powers of inspection and enforcement. Section 8(4) of the Building Control Act 1990 provides that a Building Control Authority may serve an Enforcement Notice requiring that such steps as are necessary to ensure compliance with the Building Regulations, including Part B - Fire Safety, be taken within a specified period. An Enforcement Notice may be served at any time up to five years from the completion of the Building Works. Under the Building Control Regulations, Building Control Authorities are required to maintain a register of any enforcement notices served by them, including brief particulars of the contents of the notice, which must be made available for public inspection.
Under the Fire Services Acts of 1981 and 2003 local authorities are designated as fire authorities in their respective functional areas and have extensive statutory powers of inspection and enforcement. Section 20 of the Act provides that the appropriate fire authority may serve a Fire Safety Notice on the owner or occupier of any building which appears to the authority to be a potentially dangerous building. Section 20 of the Act provides that a Fire Safety Notice in relation to a building may prohibit the use of the building, or a specified part of the building, unless or until specified precautions are taken to the satisfaction of the fire authority.
In response to the tragic fire in Grenfell Tower, the immediate focus of attention has been on life safety issues. In that context, I requested that each local authority, as a matter of urgency, review their multi-storey social housing units to ensure that all early warning systems, including alarm and detection systems and means of escape including corridors, stairways and emergency exits are in place and fully functional.
In order to raise awareness amongst private landlords, including landlords of households in receipt of social housing supports and rental assistance, the Residential Tenancies Board has been asked to remind all landlords of their statutory responsibilities and obligations as landlords to ensure that their properties fully comply with fire safety requirements. The RTB placed a notice to this effect on its website and will be writing individually to all registered landlords providing detailed information in the coming days.
A Building Control Management System (BCMS) alert was issued to all registered users of the BCMS to remind those involved in works to existing or new buildings of the need to remain vigilant in relation to compliance with the Building Regulations and in particular to Part B Fire Safety. It was issued to 57,000 registered users including builders, assigned certifiers, designers and owners.
I also met with Dublin’s Chief Fire Officer to discuss fire safety and life safety issues in light of the London tragedy. I also requested that the management board of the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management (NDFEM) convene and assess the readiness of the fire authorities to respond to emergencies. In response to this request, the NDFEM Board has confirmed to me that the recent report of the Directorate’s External Validation group found that the public are well served by the developed arrangements in place for fire services in Ireland, and concluded that the available evidence provides for confidence regarding the capability of fire services to respond to emergencies. A further meeting with all of the national Chief Fire Officers will be convened shortly.
I have tasked the National Directorate for Fire and Emergency Management with co-ordinating a high-level Task Force to lead Ireland’s re-appraisal of fire safety in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire. The further issues to be considered, in addition to those outlined above, include:
- The preliminary survey of the use of cladding products on residential buildings over 18m (6 storeys) being undertaken by fire services in Dublin is to be extended to the rest of the country and to cover buildings in all categories over 18m in height. The results to be reported to my Department by 19 July.
- My Department is to meet with the local authority Chief Fire Officers in the coming weeks to review current activities and to plan for further fire safety initiatives in prioritised areas of action.
- Responsibility for fire safety in buildings of all kinds (other than dwellings) is placed by Section 18 (2) of the Fire Services Act 1981 on the ‘person having control’ of each building. In order to assist those in both the public and private sector who hold this responsibility, consideration is being given to the publication of a guide on undertaking Fire Safety Assessments as provided for in Section 18 (6)(a) of the Act. This will facilitate persons having control of buildings to demonstrate that they are complying with their statutory responsibilities.
- I will be updating my Cabinet colleagues on the post Grenfell Tower fire situation and highlighting the implications of fire safety responsibilities in buildings across all sectors, both public and private.
- A renewed focus is to be placed on the preparations of local authorities, working with the Principal Response Agencies and others, for large scale evacuation and operation of rest centres under the aegis of the Framework for Major Emergency Management.
- I will consider all issues emerging, including regulatory arrangements, in line with developments.
